One of the problems associated with heavy industry power equipment is the removal of heat. This problem has been attacked by adding heat sync and cooling fins to various apparatuses. Variable frequency drive power supplies also have the need to dissipate heat. Thus they need ventilation to move the heat out of the enclosure. Other high-tech equipment such as variable frequency drives, soft start power supplies and microprocessor controls also required heat dissipation capability and ventilated enclosures.
Such hardware can be in a ventilated enclosure with or without fans to boost air flow and cooling. Many food processing plants wash down their walls and floors frequently with high pressure hoses for cleanliness and health reasons. Therefore to avoid contact with water for these electrical components, they must be place in watertight enclosures. Such watertight enclosures, if large enough to hold a small air conditioner, occupied too much wall space in the food processing plant and are too expensive. If the equipment were to be placed in a watertight enclosure either on the floor or on the wall, the heat could not be dissipated because the watertight enclosure was also airtight, i.e., no air flow to dissipate heat.
Thus there has developed a tremendous need for a watertight enclosure that will permit airflow to pass through and around the electronic components within the housing or enclosure to cool the components therein.
It is therefore one object of this invention to provide a watertight enclosure for electrical components that permits air to flow therethrough.
A second object is to provide a wall mountable watertight enclosure that permits airflow cooling of electrical components therein.
Yet another object is to provide a NEMA 4X enclosure for electronic power supplies and the like.
Still another object is to provide an enclosure for electrical and electronic components that permits airflow from beneath to enter and cool components, yet water that may enter from the top as a result of a hosing or other washing of the wall or ceiling will be diverted away from the components.
A yet further object is provide a NEMA 4X enclosure that diverts water that may enter from the top or bottom of a wall mounted unit and then diverts the water away from electrical components mounted with the enclosure.
One additional object is to provide a multimode system for diverting water away from electrical components in an airflow permitting watertight enclosure.
And lastly, but not least, it is an object of this invention to provide an enclosure that uses a labyrinth system to divert water entering the enclosure from hitting the electrical components within the enclosures.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.
The invention accordingly comprises the product possessing the features properties and the relation of components which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.